Hydraulic dredging machine



Oct. 7, 1930. 'c'. R. PEN-NEY HYDRULIC DREDGING MACHINE Filed July 50, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2] Wm "R? pen z g "Clarence m I I Oct- 0- c. R. PENNEY 1,777,575

HYDRAULIC DREDGING MACHINE Filed July so, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I gwventoz -Clarzzc-Rf aw Wu 7 alum,

cLAnE vcE B. I ENNEY, or DES momns, Iowa, nssieivo MOINES, IOWA "Patented Oct. 7, 1930 v i The principal 'object- UNITED "S PATENT O CE i] so cnrriionnv. RAY, or nus HYDRAULIC mmmme Mncrrnvn I Application filed July so,

of this invention isto provide a hydraulic dredging machine for obtaining materialsuch as sand and gravel from thebeds of rivers, lakes and the like thatis economical in. manufacture and durableinuse. a 3

A fnrtherpbject of my invention is to provide a hydraulic dredging machine that has wearing. parts that may be easily removed and'replaced withinew ones. r y

A still further? object of this invention is toprovide-a hydraulic dredging'or excavating machine that agitatesthe material to be obtained. with a minimum amount Toff power.

A still furtherobject .of this inventionis to provide a dredgingmachine that is so constructed that large rocks, sticks andtheflike will be prevented from entering the suction nozzle and ,chokingthe same. A still further object of this invention is to provide a dredging. machine that. removes large stones, obstructions and the like from a positionadjacent to the suction nozzle.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art. m l

'My invention consists in the construction, arrangement andcombination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects con- ,templated are. attained as hereinafter-more fully set forth, pointed out inmyclaims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhichz 3 i Fig. 1 is, a top .planview of-my complete invention ready for use. i 1 .L

Fig. 2 is a side sectional View taken'on line f 2-2 of Fig. land more full illustrates the construction of the same. V

Fig. 3isa side View ofth'emve'ntion se cured to a barge or the like. i v I a F'gi 4 is a front end View of a portion of my machine and more fully illustrates its nozzle portions. I m r d y The dredgingmachines now onthe market are very cumbersomaffdo 'not successfully agitate thematerial to be obtained and are' [beyond the financialreachof many sand and gravel operators. They are also very costly in use 'as-the parts wear readily and inmost instances are incapableof replacement and 1922;. Serial No. 296,263."

due to their'great bulk reqnire a great amount of power to operate.

l' have used the numeral 10 to designatethe barge or operating base. To this member 10 is secured by suitable means the two parallel supporting arms 11 and 12.. Journaled in the free ends of the arms llcand 12 is the drive shaft 13but is prevented ffrom-lateral movement by the collar members "14, as shownin V Fig.1. Having their rear-ends hinged onthe shaft 13 and ,betweenlthe two arm slland 12 are the two parallel bracemembers 15 and 16 respectively. These two brace members are i spaced and held apart by the crossbraces'l'f, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2. f Lo oselymounted onthe shaft 13 is the pulley wheel 18 having thedriving facel9on one of itssides. LSlidably mounted on the shaft 13"but1secured against relative rotary movement thereto,'by suitable means such as a key, is the wheel 21 capable of engaging thedriving face 19. The numeral22 designates a coil spring. for yieldingly holding the driving faoe21in operative engagement with the driving face 19. The numeral 23 designates-an endless belt in engagementwith the pulley Wheel18 and leading to a prime'mover not shown. By

this arrangement,when the endless belt 23 is drivenbythe prime mover the shaft 13 will be rotated. The numeral 2 1 designates the ordinary spreading fork for increasing the distan'ceibetween the pulley wheel '18 and the wheel 20 in order that the driving faces 19 and 21*will beforcedoutof engagement with each other, thereby allowingthe pulley Wheel 18 to' berotated without rotating the shaft 13. When it is desired to have the shaft 13 rotated with the pulley wheel 18. it

is merely. necessary to pull Z the. spreading fork 24 to-the rear to allow the coil spring 22 toforce the driving faces. 1'9 and,21 into engagement with each other. Rotatably mounted. in the free ends 'ofthe two parallel brace members 15 and 16His the shaft25. This shaft is prevented from 'sliding laterally in the members 15. and 16 bythe Jordinary retaining collars-26.1 Permanently secured on the shaft 25 by suitable means and spaced apart are the two disk wheels :27 and 20 having the driving face 7 28 respectively. Secured by suitable means, such as rivets or bolts, to the inner side and near the periphery of each of these Wheels the hook or prong portion30.-" It willalso be noted that the heel of each of these knives extends inwardly, thereby forcing the sand and gravel which they come in contact with" inwardly. When these knives become worn beyond further successful use they may be easily removed from the Wheels to which they are secured and new knives substituted. On the inner side of each of the wheels 27 and 28 are the endless bevel gear teeth 31. Permanently secured on the shaft 13 are the two bevel gears32 and 33 respectively. Bo.- tatably mounted in the cross braces 17 and prevented from. sliding movement therein by thecollars Se is the shaft 35hav1ng the bevel gear 36 permanently secured on one of its ends and in engagement with the bevel gear 33 and thebevel gear 37 permanently secured on its other. endand. inengagement with the gear. teeth 31 .onthe wheel 27..v Rotatably mounted in the cross braces17 and prevented from sliding movement. therein by theicollars 38is'the second shaft 39 having the bevel-gear40 permanently secured to one of its ends and inengagement with the bevel gear 32 and the bevel gear 41permanently secured to its other end and in operative ene gagement with the gear: teeth; 31 on the wheel28. By this construction, when the shaft 13 is rotated the wheelsQT: and 28, carrying the knives 29, will be rotated andthe sand and gravel with which they come in contact will be loosened and agitated. Supported and secured. by. the brackets 12 on the under side of the frame portion 1813118 ordinary suction pipe 43 having the suction nozzle 44 terminating between and adjacent the wheels 27 and 28,as shown in. Fig. 3.

This suction pipe 13 leads to a suitable pump, not'shown, which draws the sand and gravel into the nozzle 44which has been lifted and agitated bythe knives 29. Thenumeral 15. designates a shield secured to the top-of the cross braces .17and extending in a circular. path'between the wheels 27 and 28 until it terminates slightly above the'suction nozzle 44L. It is securedtothe end of'the suction nozzle-against undesirable movement by the bracket members 46. Secured by suitable means to the crossbraces 1-7', the forward end of the shield-45 and the brackets 42319 the cone shaped members 47. Embracing the sprocket wheel 48 which is permanently'secured to the shaft-13 and all of the. cone shaped members 47 is the'endless chain 19- carrying the lifting and clearing bars 50 exwith great resistance,

tending outwardly at an angle and forming a V-shaped construction. By this arrangement when the shaft 13 is rotated the chain &9 carrying the bars 50 will slowly pass in front of the suction nozzle 46, thereby not only acting as a screen for preventing the entrance of large material to enter and clog the suction nozzle but lifting and carrying large obstructions up and over the shield {15 away from the wheels 27 and 28' and from anun-. desired point adjacent the suction nozzle. As the chain passesupward and around the shaft 13this undesirable material will be eventually depositedibackof the shaft 13 and between the barge and shaft 13. To aid the bars 50 and endless chain to guide'thisundes'iled material to the rear of-my machine, I have provided the two guides 51 'o'fangle iron construction, secured to the cross braces '17 and on each sideof the ba-rs a'nd" chain respectively, as, shown in Fig. 1. The" agitating wheels 27'and 28 also-lift large boulders and the likeiup on the shield45 where the chain and bars carry' them to the rear in the usual manner. The numeral 52-designates braces for making the complete device more rigid. 'By the two driving faces 19 and 21"being comparatively smooth the shaft 13-may slip relative tothe pulley wheel 18- whenslowed downor stopped by the'wheels 27 and 28 or the-chain49 and- -bars 50 coming in contact thereby preventingan inwardly breakage of the machine.

To operate the'd evice it is merely necessary to allow'the weight of the machine to restupon'the material to be obtained through the suction nozzle. -Due to the simplicity of operating partsverylittle power from the prime-mover is necessary to operate thedevice. 1 some changes may be made in the construction, arrangement and combination .of my improved hydraulic dredging machine without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my inventionand-it is my intention tozcover'bymy claims any modifiedforms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which-'may' be reasonably included within their scope. M 1

. Iclaimi 1 1. In a device of the class described, a frame, a shaft rotatably'. mounted in the free end of saidframe, two wheels spaced apart and secured onsaid shaft against rotation relative to said shaft, knives detachably secured to said wheels; said knives each having their heel portions bent inwardlyfor forcing the material to be obtained toward a point between said two wheels, a projection on each ofsaid knives extending to'ward the di rection the said knives rotate when said shaft is 'rotatedand a prime mover for rotating said shaft.

2. In a deviceof the class described, a

frame, a shaft rotatably mounted in said 1 a said carrying bars,

said chain, apair; of wheels spaced apart frame, two wheels spaced apart and secured V on said shaft, a suction nozzle adjacent said two wheels and between the same, a plurality of knives detachably secured to each of said Wheels; said knives each having its heel portion bent inwardly for forcing the material to be obtained toward the said suction nozzle and a means for rotating saidshaft.

3. In a device of the class described, an elongated frame, a pair of wheels spaced apart and rotatably mounted in the end of said frame, a suction nozzle terminating adjacent said wheels, an endless chain extending around said frame and the open endof said nozzle, a plurality of carrying bars secured to said chain, a plurality of lifting and agitating blades secured to said wheels and extending a considerable distance beyond and a means for rotating said chain and said wheels.

4c. In a device of the class described, an

elongated frame, a suction nozzle terminat-' ing adjacent the forward'end of said frame,

an endless chain embracing said frame and v the open end of said nozzle, carrying bars on and rotatably mounted'in the forward end of said frame and on each side of said cha n having their peripheries cutting a path beyond the path cut by said carrying bars.

5. In a device of the class described, an s elongated frame, a pair of wheels spaced apart and rotatably mounted in the end of said frame, a suction nozzle terminating adjacent said wheels, an endless chain extending around said frame and the open end of said nozzle, lifting and agitating blades detachably secure to each of said wheels and extending beyond said endless chain; said blades each having their heel portions bent inwardly for forcing the material to be obtained toward the said suction nozzle, and a means for rotating said chain and said wheels.

6. In a device of the class described, an

, elongated frame, a pair of wheels spaced apart and rotatably mounted in the end of said frame, a suction nozzle terminating ad- 1' acent said wheels, an endless chain extending around said frame and the open end of said nozzle, a plurality of bars secured to said chain and extending outwardly at an angle thereto, two elongated angle arms secured a to the top of said frame and on each side of said chain and bars respectively, a plurality of lifting and agitating blades secured to said wheels and extending a considerable distance beyond said bars on said chain, and a means for rotating said chain and said Wheels.

CLARENCE R. PENNEY. 

